Face to waste
I read the other day that most Americans do not get enough fiber in their diet. The American diet is so devoid of fiber because so much of our food is highly processed. A number of my patients tell me they love to juice fruits and vegetables every day. However, in a lot of the juicing products you save the juice but get rid of the fiber. A better way may be to just blend the entire fruit or vegetable in a blender. The fiber is what causes the slow release of minerals and sugar so that you do not get sugar spikes. The fiber does many things in the body it helps repopulate all 900 species of bacteria in the gut which helps maintain the immune system. 90% of our immune system is based in the gut. Fiber helps you feel full so it helps to decrease over eating. Fiber helps lower LDL cholesterol, and it also helps make mucus in the bowel which protects the bowel from infection and last but not least it helps prevent constipation.
There are two main types of fiber. One is Insoluble fiber which helps move waste through the intestines and to hydrate the bowel by holding onto water. Insoluble fibers are found in seeds, the skin of fruits and vegetables, whole wheat, brown rice, leafy greens, and nuts. Insoluble fiber helps with constipation, hemorrhoids, and fecal incontinence. The other type is Soluble fiber which is found in nuts, oatmeal, beans, apples, and berries. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids and LDL cholesterol to flush these out of the bowels.
So, how much fiber do we need? They say about 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day are needed for an adult. Can you take too much fiber? Yes, and if you do you tend to become bloated, gaseous, and experience abdominal cramps. Now, I have a lot of patients with constipation problems and they will try different types of laxatives but often it does not work if you become severely constipated. Laxatives may not be able to help you that’s why I suggest seeing a colon cleanse specialist. If the constipation is not out of control, then it is good to use a laxative but regular use of laxatives does come with some serious side effects. Laxatives are categorized into several categories. Bulk forming laxative like Metamucil, Citrucel, Psyllium husk, and glucomannan. These do not seem to have serious side effects. Then there are stool softeners such as prune laxatives, milk of magnesium, colace, magnesium citrate, and miralax. The other category is stimulating laxative such as dulcolax, senna, and ex-lax.
The problem with the stimulates and softeners is studies are showing that long term use of these increases the rates of dementia by 50%. Because, with chronic constipation you see an increase of synuclein protein in the nervous system of the bowel. This protein travels up the vagus nerve to the brain and is a big cause of dementia and also closely related to Parkinson’s disease because this protein damages the nerves of the GI tract. My suggestion is if you are starting to notice fewer bowel movements or harder bowel movements you may want to increase your water intake and if that does not work then look at using a bulk forming laxative. We all have to go sometime!
Dr. John Young, MD
(727) 545-4600, Largo, FL
